Staying in your comfort zone stops you from growing. As long as you’re there it keeps you in the same place.

It’s very similar to you being an adult crawling as a way to get around. You couldn’t live like that. You wouldn’t be living at all.

You need to grow. It’s a part of life, a huge part. It helps you improve and attain happiness.

The funny thing about your comfort zone is that it’s so darn familiar.

It’s so easy to just keep doing the same ol’ thing even though you know you shouldn’t. It takes no effort at all. Just sit back and go with the flow.

You know it’s no longer good for you but there is a certain level of comfort in that toxic routing that you’ve gotten used to.

At times you may even be able to convince yourself that staying in the same place and doing the same ol’ thing is what you want. But that’s just the laziness in you speaking. No one wants to crawl for the rest of their life.

You can do it

I know carrying on the routine you have down pat is so much easier than actually putting in the effort to change but you have to do it for yourself.

Like when you were a baby, take it a step at a time.

First decide that you are going to get out of your comfort zone.

Changes that run deep require conscious effort beforehand. You have to be in it mentally so that it will be easier to carry out when it’s time for action.

If you don’t take the first step you’ll just continue on the same comfortable, stagnant path. But you’re not here for that.

You want more and you deserve it. Your comfort zone is an illusion. It sounds like the place you want to be but it’s really not.

You cannot achieve the greater things that you want, and need, in it so you have to get out of that zone.

Consider these things to push yourself out of your comfort zone:

1. Frighteningly fun

Of course trying new things can be scary but it can be fun too. Think about rollercoasters, at first they’re scary then a few seconds later you’re screaming for joy, not terror.

Being exposed to new things is fun and exciting. Just because it awakens your emotions doesn’t mean you should step back.

Life is an adventure and if you stay in your comfort zone you’re robbing yourself of a thrilling journey. Anything else is bo-ring.

2. Changing one thing changes everything

Small changes can leave a huge impact.

As a start, tweaking your routing can end up changing the whole way you do everything. It can open your eyes to other ways and possibilities, getting you closer to your goal.

3. Stunting your growth

I’ve already mentioned how staying in your comfort zone stops you from growing, but it is worth reminding you.

Now that you’ve got some motivation, this how you’re going to get out of your comfort zone:

1. Just do it

Your comfort zone is the epitome of not taking action. You’re not moving in the right direction, you’re not doing what you need to.

Sure it’ll be an adjustment, but after you’ve decided to do it you need to take action.

Put it on your mind, and then put it into action.

2. Take baby steps

You don’t have to dive into the pool from the tallest diving board, just simply dip your toe in. Do a little at a time, stretch yourself a tad.

Try pairing an uneasy task with something familiar.

If you’re scared to go at it alone ask a friend to go along with you. If you know someone who’s a bit more established, chat with them about it. The familiarity of one element will help ease the fear of the other.

When you continue to inch out of your comfort zone it’s not as scary as it seemed.

3. Remember you know how to run

Whenever you’re feeling apprehensive and you’d rather stay in your comfort zone remind yourself that you can run.

As a baby the only way you could get around was crawling, then walking and now you can do so much more with those two legs of yours.

Lea is a certified life coach, foodie and lifehack expert. Don’t end up like the millions of people who gave up on their dreams, get unstuck and to the next level. Take the eye-opening Live Your Dreams course now to get moving!

What an awesome article -I could not agree more. It seems counter intuitive yet this will benefit us so very much. I wrote a guest article for Adrienne’s blog which covered leaving our comfort and growing our business. Your article is in alignment with that thought, and I am happy to see the different points you have given here. Truly wonderful.

I’ve heard the quote that life begins at the end of your comfort zone, and it’s so very true. You are absolutely right, life is an adventure. Staying in our comfortable little padded comfort zone will most definitely stunt our growth, you are spot on.

Pushing ourselves to bigger and better things never feels good, but the results of what we achieve way overcome any negative or weird feelings we had initially.

Love the recommendation to take baby steps and to just do it. It is as simple as that, truly is. I’ve allowed fear of failure to stop my growth until a few years ago when I change my mindset to a successful mindset.

I love this post. It’s filled with inspiration, but at the same time slap you in the face facts that many of us just don’t want to admit are true.
I stay in my comfort zone far too much, and I need to step out of it. You’re right my business will never grow if I don’t take chances and leave my little nest.

Yes to grow and even keep up with the times you have to adapt, especially in business. The way people conduct it and expectations are ever changing so you have to be willing to take that dive into the uneasy.

This post reminds me of what I was taught at my first full time job. One of the older coworkers said “Everything that is real is subject to change”… isn’t this so true. Just this quote relates to this article! Yes if we truly want to be real with ourselves, we must keep growing. As a result, we’ll find that we’ll be much happier than when we were in our comfort zone.

Another saying is “We die at the age of 25 but aren’t buried until we’re 95”. I learned this from a friend of mine and it also does relate to this topic. It’s funny how we thought when we were in grade school and college, but after that, things change for the worst for a lot of us. We tend to stay ‘comfortable’ in the life style we chose. So yes, we must keep on dreaming like we did when we were younger to also maintain a more happy, fulfilling life!

It’s funny that you mention taking baby steps and thinking of a comfort zone like a baby. That’s how I think of it too! Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I’m having a baby soon and that’s all I’ve been thinking about lately. Well, not really. Anyway, whenever I think about getting out of my comfort zone, I just remember all the things I did while growing up that I didn’t think I could initially do. Eventually I just sucked it up and did it. And you know what? I grew as a person. That’s a great reminder for me to just keep pushing forward.

I do thrive on my routine and need it to function efficiently. But I am fearless and there is very little that I wouldn’t try.

Anything to do with extreme sports, roller-coasters, bugs I have no problems dealing with. In fact, for my birthday next year I plan to cage drive with great white sharks in south Africa (I’ve wanted to do this for ages).

I do sometimes struggle with new concepts that I want to introduce into my work like public speaking or video blogging. But I just get on with it. I don’t like to feel defeated. And I’m happy to practice, practice, practice until I achieve what I want!

You are so right and it’s always been hard for me to get out of my comfort zone. I’m a woman who likes her routine, I’m not spontaneous at all. I’ve had my moments but it’s not something I prefer.

I don’t like change, not for the most part. I like knowing how to do something or being comfortable in a certain way. I know that change is something we all have to do eventually and I use to fight it till the very end. Probably another reason I’m always so slow getting to my destination because it does make me very uncomfortable but I will eventually do it.

You are right of course, just take it slow, one day at a time and we’ll soon be happy we did. We’ll never get to where we want to be if we never go any further than we are at this very moment.

Right! That’s how it is a first then it becomes a thrilling adventure.

Yes, moving out of your comfort zone is so important. No one really wants to stay in the same place forever. And its kind of fun to shift out of it.

Thanks Don and thanks for sharing your exciting first ride!

Enjoy your week also.

~Lea

Junie

This article is great. The advice is so beneficial that I linked it to a post I published today on my blog.

We need to come out of our comfort zone so we can progress in life. That was how I left my secure teaching job to pursue a career as a freelance writer. If I stayed in my comfort zone, I wouldn’t have made that move.

Fear is another thing that keeps us captive. Babies are excellent examples. They have no fear and that’s how they learn. Even when they fall, they get up and try again.

Thanks for sharing your experience. That was a really big step but I think it’s paying off lovely for you.

They sure do. They may cry after falling but they don’t let it discourage them from trying again later.

Thanks for commenting June. I appreciate you sharing.

~Lea

mark newsome

What a truly awesome post Lea!

And like Donna, I too love your analogy about comparing a child’s first few steps with our learning to break free from our self imposed comfort zone!
What a great message!

And you’re so right, often times we let what initially seems like a slightly unpleasant and or temporarily uncomfortable situation, prevent us from really experiencing some major (long term) breakthroughs, in both our personal and business lives!

I love that analogy of a baby taking their first steps. I always think of that and say to myself we are natural beings of growth. We crawl, walk, run, all in the first years of our lives. We have an innate ability wired within us to get out of comfort zones and try new things. To me it is a natural process of being human.

But then we grow and hear many things that say no, you can’t, it’s impossible and so on. Feeding all this into the subconscious mind can have an effect on us to stand still.

So it comes to a decision and we have to decide to get out of that comfort zone and take the baby steps necessary to achieve new things. Once we do, it is a heck of a lot of fun!
-Donna

Yes, isn’t it quite the achievement?! That’s great Donna. I tend to get restless in my comfort zone and have to do something else. Too bad for some people they allow themselves to be frightened by the challenge of it.

Very true. It’s hard to move forward without proper reinforcement. That then becomes the first obstacle you have to overcome.

You said it! Bring on the adventure!! I’d rather have a life full of “Oh wells” rather than “what ifs.”

Ya, moving out of the comfort zone requires a lot of courage. After overcoming this step, everything looks simple. So, we have to overcome the initial barrier only.
I really love the way you have explained the meaning of comfort zone with a crawling of an adult.

Thank you so much for noticing, much appreciated. I think personal development and goal achievement isn’t about any one thing because it impacts so much. So I try to be versed in as much as I can.

True indeed. Consistency breeds results. As you said things take time, we must be patient and determined. And the small things add up for sure.

Thanks for commenting!

~Lea

Ajay Pai Aj

Hey Lea! A fabulous post, I must say! To take the baby step to move out of the comfort zone, requires courage and vision. Without both it’s simply not possible and not worth. Two things could happen, you could be successful as you move out of the comfort zone or you may be a failure. If it’s the downhill way which comes your way as a result of you moving out of the comfort zone, you need to have the courage to assure and reassure yourself that you would come out the sticky situation.

You are so right in all that you wrote – moving away from our comfort zone isn’t easy, but that’s the only way you actually grow, evolve, and get better.

It’s so easy for us to be and do what we usually do, and just sit there, but what do we achieve at the end of the day? I think we stagnate over time if we don’t make an effort to think different and out of the box. Those tips are apt!

So, as your title says, you might be a little uneasy if you move away from your comfort zone, because you are trying new things – you’d be happier at the end for achieving them eventually.

I completely agree with you. Life is everchanging, as should we. There’s always something new to attain and stretch yourself. Once your goals are achieved, set new ones, keep going. Life is a never ending journey and we shouldn’t stay in any one place too long.

Thanks for commenting. Enjoy your weekend.

~Lea

Yash Birajdar

Hi lea, Great post I must say. It actually inspires you from within and encourages to take the required steps. Absolutely Brillant.
Plus the steps which you have given has really set me in an action mood. Thanks alot.

Lea

Welcome to the Leading Edge, I'm Lea. Here is where you'll find the support you need to get over the roadblocks and live the life that only seemed possible in your dreams. It may seem far fetched now but believe me it's not. I'm living proof! Read More…